Hog Waller Junction

For whatever reason the Peco ST -6 turnout to the mine spur has either stopped power routing or never was. But it seems I had it routing power from the main to the spur before if my memory serves me correct. My other two Peco ST turnouts are routing power fine on the same spur where the double track is in front of the mine. I have a suspicion that I have a broken or loose wire upon looking at one fresh out of the package under the frog. Benefit of once again testing the track power with a loco over all the reinstalled track. So I guess tomorrow I pull it out and examine it for whatever is going on. Sometime this month maybe I will get off the upper level to the lower.

Well I just played with them some more. Seems like senility and a large case of CRS is setting in since none route power until the turnout is thrown. Once that is done the track is live. Which means if I want to operate a loco on the main and one on the spur at the same time I had better run a power feed wire.

 

Hi John,

I just finished reading this entire thread and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it except for certain parts. I was very sorry to learn of the loss of your granddaughter.

I love cats so having yours included in the construction of your new layout was a real bonus. So, do I count correctly that you have 7 cats? It must be a real riot around there! At one time, my daughter had 9!

Anyway, looking forward to seeing more installments

Doug

 

They for the most part are reasonably behaved. But I do have to hide rubber bands from the Big Guy and watch for Deekus, who is lightning quick, and keep wires securely tucked away from all. I have started installing power feeds and the coiled wire is a prime target. So until it is secured I hide the coils under rolls of tape that are weighted down. Don't know what is going to happen when I start trees and bushes. The Big Guy and his much younger brother like green munchies. Anytime we make a salad they sit and beg for the dark green lettuce leaves so I will be watchful when I start putting some pine trees in.

 

After running some errands this AM I sat down this afternoon to try and figure out the track configuration for the lower level and the mill spurs. Both the outer lower track and the upper track are eventual connections to the additional sections of layout to come much later so they will be installed end to end with just a rail bumper on each end and for now serve as sidings.

Taking some of my existing inventory of older stuff I started laying it out to see what would work. Came to the conclusion that I needed more of the little Peco ST turnouts. Its a tight space and they save space with a nice tight 9" radius. The others seen on the track are my little 7" radius turnouts that I want to save for the eventual port area. So I made an order to Mr. Fifer today for some of his Peco turnouts. Some of the older stuff has that big honking switch machine housing to the side that interferes with some clearances and most of them the motor died years ago and they are now manual thrown. So while I wait for some stuff to get in I will mess with one to see what I can rig up the get rid of that danged housing. Finished up the paintwork on the rocks that I used to expand the upper level right of way. Really at a standstill now so maybe I will go for that upper left corner and start some scenic work. Big order of trees should arrive today.

 

Well the trees I ordered finally arrived this evening. Another case of multiple handing off to different delivery agencies that I have had with this vender before. Seems to take three to four days longer and going way out of the way to get here. Oh well I got them though. Trees are of the twisted multiple strand wire and bristles construction and actually don't look too bad. Set some in a block of foam and placed the foam up in Big Guy Meadow to see if they will survive the night. Maybe tomorrow I will start applying some scenic material to the meadow and surrounds While I await the turnout order. I want the ground cover in before the trees and quite possibly the low shrubs.

So here are the trees. What do folks think of them? Were they worth about $50 for 100 of them?

 

I am thinking of using them as is in tight bunches and interspersing some other species in with them in areas. Taller trees surrounded by medium and shorter trees. I briefly thought about using some fine foliage but not sure it would look worth a dang. I may try one or two just to see.

 

These look good in photos as is, but try out the fine foliage lightly sprinkled overall; I prefer the more jagged appearance to give the suggestion of smaller branches. It might give you a better color match to trees in the area if that's a concern. If you want to spend the time, you could clip out some chunks of foliage from some trees to make things look less uniform.

For a bigger project with more trees, I'd be looking for cheaper (like about a dollar each, like in JTT packs) and would still do the prep work above. But you got a variety of sizes rather than a bunch of the smallest about the same size. So the big ones would bring up the total cost here. The main thing is still to save time vs. making trees and keep the project rolling.

 

The trees sat on the layout overnight and survived. I did not find a relocated forest on the living room floor with critters in the middle of it. After applying a base coat of paint to the area for landscaping I sat down with the trees and some foliage materials. Some of the trees in the photo have fine foliage now on them, a very light coat, and some are original. I think the base trees are very good in themselves but the additional of the light coat of fine foliage has made them better. So in between working on a small area of landscaping I will do some more of them in between drying and setting times for the other stuff.


While looking at forest floor photos I found this Washington State photo. I think I nailed the rocks.


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And the following three photos are what I will be attempting to capture the flavor of in different areas.






It is going to be fun to try and capture the look of the Ferns.

I ordered another batch of trees, this time mixed and in HO scale by the same folks. So far the cost of this little layout is up to $675. Part of that is due to my needing some turnouts that save space and having to deep six a couple that due to extreme age and wear were basically now junk. I also have not factored in the cost of some of the structures I will be using in that I already have them onboard. And most of the scenic materials I already have onboard also except for the trees.

 

Did a total of 37 trees with the fine foliage enhancement, got a base color of paint down for the area, and tomorrow maybe I will start with the undergrowth for the tree area. Deekus said she didn't like them as they were maybe with a little ranch dressing. Exploring options for N scale ferns with the stuff I have but maybe a visit to Micheals might be in store.

 

Yup it hit 64 here today although with rain. Have a fan going on the layout to help the paint dry. That is an extended window ledge she is sitting on that is a cat platform. I usually have the window open when working except in very cold or hot days. Keeps the odor of paint, glue, and solvents from drifting through the house. Plus I have a window fan that is usually on exhaust when placed in the window. Needless to say the open window is a feline favorite.

 

We have a power pole right outside th living room window that the squirrels love to scoot up and down on. Just to torture our three kitties!!

The trees look better with the fine stuff on them.

Am glad I ain't the only feller with a steep grade!

 

The trees with the added foliage look really good and the kittries (a word my dear late father thought up to call cats) look good without added foliage around their mouths.

Doug

 

The grade at some time in the distant future will go away and most likely become a road leading to the top when the additional sections of the layout get built. Two more sections would end up going on the right side of the layout and would have the ranch complex and the logging operations. Track curves around at the end section enters the log camp and then slowly climbs some more to eventually end up where the upper track is now or the upper main. At that point the Macie Mine track will come off the upper level at the upper falls where the culverts are under the track. All that current grade to reach the mine eventually will end up spread out over about 12 feet. The trackage that later comes from the port will come in on the left side of the layout and when that happens the tunnel portion of the main gets abandoned and the layout becomes true point to point. But none of that happens until I eventually relocate and have a permanent layout home.

Steamghost's suggestion of the finer foliage did make a big improvement over what were already decent trees. So it does help to have some additional eyes looking at stuff. Last night I looked at some material I had previously gotten from Michael's along with my Wife's eyes and creative input. So with some creative cutting I may have my Fern issue resolved. Besides the trees yesterday I did manage to get about a narrow 8 inch strip of grass installed. Today I hope to get some of the meadow in and the ferns at least one edge area. The ferns are going to be labor intensive.

I did depart from using a spray bottle the apply scenic glue for the fine foliage for the trees. Just too danged messy and wasted glue. Instead I used a stiff paint brush and brushed the glue on the trees having much better control and then sifted the foliage on with a little hand held wire mesh strainer over a bowl. Every so often I would remove the excess from the bowl and return it to the strainer thus saving on material. The left over material became some of the small grass strips later. This AM I checked on the trees and found that two had been removed from the foam board where they had been left to dry. However they were on the floor right below the board so I started with 37 and ended with 37 undamaged. Keeping the salad dressings securely tucked away discouraged any further foraging for greens.

 

Made some decent progress in the upper left corner this AM. Found a grass mat at Michael's several weeks ago that I liked the looks of so trimmed it up to fit the upper meadow, officially now Big Guy Meadow. Saves a lot on landscaping material.

The next shot has the mat glued down and a landscape mix applied for the forest floor and the fern beds. I applied a mix of fine earth, light yellow straw and yellow/brown grass, small green fine clump foliage, and just a touch of fine green foliage.
Next is to finish touching up the edge of the mat then let it all dry before taking a vacuum to it. I also applied talus to the fill area behind the timber retaining walls that I will go back when dried and vacuumed and stain. In between tending my pot of Ham and Cabbage I have cooking I will start installing my ferns this afternoon.

And the darker green patches on the meadow is just where I sprayed some fine water mist to distribute the glue better. I also previously thoroughly cleaned my little hand held vac. I will take the excess vacuumed up and reuse the mix somewhere. Waste not want not. And on a severely crowded workbench some small rock castings drying to be placed on the forest floor. Probably will take a walk outside to collect some small tree branch debris, which I will throw in the oven, to kill any resident miniature critters, to also scatter on the forest floor in some areas.

 

I can save the gas and just walk down the hall to my Wife's bathroom. May not be cheap but its hairspray. But rather than incur my Wife's wrath, and She is full blood Lakota, remember what happened to Custer, I will probably stay with my scenic glue. Using a brush is much better on application both for ground cover and trees. And for the ground cover I first am coating the area, then applying the cover, going over it with a few drops of scenic glue again, dripped on this time, and then spraying with a fine mist of water. Scenic glue spreads though out like a champ and dries well.